Winding apparatus



Jan. 11, 1966 D. RYAN WINDING APPARATUS '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 5, 1964 FIG-Z INVENTOR DANAHEY RYAN ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1966 D, RYAN 3,228,621

WINDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR DANAHEY RYAN ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1966 RYAN 3,228,621

WINDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 F l G. 4

INVENTOR 2 DANAHEY RYAN ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1966 RYAN 3,228,621

WINDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR DANAHEY RYAN ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1966 RYAN 3,228,621

WI NDI NG APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 {I g 64 II F i G! 8 1 AM INVENTOR DANAHEY RYAN BY mfl. (Mag, 93 9| 4 ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1966 3, Y 3,228,621

WINDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. 7 A

INVENTOR DA N AH EY RYAN ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1966 D. RYAN WINDING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Feb. 5. 1964 INVENTOR DANAHEY RYAN ATTORNEY United States Patent ()fifice 3,228,621 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 3,228,621 WINDING APPARATUS Danahey Ryan, Wilmington, Del., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 342,661 7 Claims. (Cl. 24264) This invention relates to a continuous rewind device for web material and more particularly to a continuous rewind device for the preparation of rolls of cine film.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for the continuous rewinding of a web. Another object is to provide means for automatically cinching a web on a core to facilitate rewinding the web. A further object is to provide a device which will index itself to rewind a new roll of web upon completing the formation of a roll of the web material of the desired length. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

These and other objects are accomplished by a device for rewinding a web which comprises a support; a turret rotatably mounted on said support with means for automatically rotating said turret; wind-up chuck means located on said turret for receiving and winding said web and follower-arm means located on said turret for guiding the web onto said chuck while said web is being wound.

The device shown in these preferred embodiments is described in the following discussion and attached drawings. However, the device as described is not limited to the specified embodiments of the following discussion.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the turret with chuck assemblies and follower arms.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of FIGURE 1 minus the front turret face.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section elevation view of the turret shaft.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section elevation View of the wind-up assembly and chuck assembly.

FIGURE 5 is a partial front elevational view of the turret showing a follower arm assembly.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a chuck assembly with guide rolls.

FIGURE 7 is a partial elevational view of a chuck assembly, follower arm assembly and guide chute in receiving position.

FIGURE 8 is an end view of the guide chute assembly when extended away from the chuck assembly.

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of an empty core surrounded by the guide chute.

FIGURE 10 is a schematic view showing a standard manner for initiating the rewind device.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the indexing windup unit essentially comprises a circular rotatable turret 11 with four, driven, identical windup chucks 12 (at the start position) 13 (at the winding position) 14 (at the doff position) and 15 (at the standby position) each spaced equidisant from one another and four follower arm assemblies 16, 17, 18, 19 mounted at 90 intervals on the turret between the windup chucks so as to provide a follower arm for each chuck.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the above mentioned assemblage is attached to one end of a rotatable turret shaft 20 journaled in a shaft housing 21 which, in turn, is rigidly mounted on the main machine frame 22. All of these are described in more detail below.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the turret shaft 20 is shown as a generally hollow tube journaled in a pair of antifriction bearings 23 and 24 which are retained in the housing 21. The shaft extends beyond the housing 21 at either end; at one end it is attached to the turret plate 11 and associated members (described later) and at the other end to a locking collar 25 and a drive pulley 26. Both are fixedly held to the shaft 20 for rotation therewith by a standard square-shaped key. The circumferential face of the locking collar 25 is interrupted at intervals by four open slots 27a and 27b (only two shown) which are grooved in collar 25 and engage a dog 28 sequentially as the turret plate 11 is indexed. The dog 28 is slidably held in a bracket 29 which is attached to the housing 21 above the collar 25. A compression spring 30 urges the dog 28 into engagement with any of the slots in the collar 25 thereby locking the turret plate 11. The other end of the dog 28 is coupled to the plunger of a power solenoid 31 also attached to the bracket 29. The solenoid is energized only when the turret plate is to be indexed 90; whereupon it functions to override the compression spring, forcibly disengage the dog from the collar and unlock the turret plate.

Still referring to FIGURE 3, shown inside the housing 21 and firmly attached to the shaft 20 is a commercial slip ring assembly 32 which comprises eight spaced annular discs four of which, 33, have a conductive ring on both of their sides, the conductive rings extend 360 and are insulated from each other and from the shaft. In addition, there are four rings that are split into arc lengths and one of these is located on each disc of the remaining four discs 34. These rings provide a convenient means for supplying electrical power to windup chuck motors mounted on the rotating turret plate 11 and provide a part of the switching means for starting and stopping the motors during various operations. These motors are described in detail later. Electrical power is transmitted to each slip ring by a set of spaced brushes which are retain-ed in a pair of stationary brush holders 35 which are fastened to the housing 21. The various electical devices, described below, which are mounted on the turret plate 11 derive power by way of the slip ring assembly 32. Each is connected thereto by insulated electrical conductors which in turn, are attached directly to the rings. The conductors are combined into a cable (not shown) inside the shaft 20 and emerge through a pair of openings 36 in the shaft 20.

In FIGURE 2 a commercial type speed reduction motor 37 fastened to the main machine frame 22 supplies the rotating motion to the turret plate 11. Torque is transmitted from the motor 37 to the turret by means of a pulley 38 on the output shaft and a belt 39 that engages the drive pulley 26 of the turret shaft.

As previously mentioned, four windup chuck assemblies are mounted on the turret plate. All are structurally and functionally identical; hence to simplify the description, only windup chuck assembly 12 is discussed in detail.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, the windup chuck assembly 12 comprises a hollow spindle 40 which is rotatably journaled in an antifriction bearing 41a in the back face of the turretll. The other end is pinned to an extension 42 which, in turn, is journaled in an antif'riction bearing 41b in the front face of the turret 11. Inside the turret, i.e., in the space between the front and back faces, the spindle 40 is keyed to a pulley 43 which is operatively connected to a belt 44 (shown in FIGURE 5) and by that to a pulley 45 which is attached to the output shaft of a commercial angle gear unit 46. The input shaft of the gear unit is connected by a conventional coupling to the shaft of an electric motor 47 which is thus enabled to rotate the spindle 40 in a counter clockwise direction when viewed from the front or operators side, e.g., as shown in FIGURE 5 or 7. The motor 47 and the angle gear unit 46 are rigidly fastened to the turret 11.

Telescoped inside the spindle 40 is non-rotating vacuum 7 rolled around core 51. tached to an extension of the shaft 63 in such a positube 48 which is attached at one end, by means of a flange, to the backface of the turret 11 and is rigidly supported within the spindle 40 on a pair of ant-ifriction bearings that merely serve as rotary spacers. The end of the tube 48 inside the extension 42 is apertured and communicates with a series of radially inclined passages 49 that terminate on the radial end face of the extension 42. A core shaft 50 protruding from the end face, in line with the axial center of the spindle 40, supports a core 51 on which the processed web product is wound. The core 51 is manually mounted on the shaft 50 flush against the end face of extension 42 and is locked for rotation with the spindle 40 by means of a locking key 52 which is pivot-ably attached to the core shaft 50 and engages a matching slot in the core 51. The core 51 has a slot in its circumferential face which communicates with the passages 49 and the vacuum tube 48 when mounted as shown.

Still referring to FIGURE 4, each spindle, i.e., 40 and corresponding spindles for each chuck, can be connected, in turn to a source of vacuum by means of a retractable vacuum connector, described below, as the turret 11 is indexed into a web starting position which position is adjacent to a film feeding station (not shown). The rod end of a commercial short stroke cylinder 53' is threadedly coupled to the retractable vacuum connect-or 54, which is slidably journaled in a bracket 55. The cylinder and the bracket are attached to the main machine frame by conventional fasteners. The connector has an axial passage 56 which is a through going passage and, in effect, is a continuation of the vacuum tube 48. The passage 56 opening adjacent to the tube 48 is provided with a resilient gasket 57 which forms an air tight seal when the connector54 is actuated forward against the machined end face of the tube 48. The rear opening of the passage 56 is threadedly coupled to a commercial flexible hose 58 that connects into a remotely located vacuum source and valve (not shown). Bracket 59 afiixed to the slidable connector 54 is operatively connected to switch 60. The switch functions as an interlock in the electrical circuitry controlling the turret drive motor 37 such that when the vacuum connector 54 is extended against the vacuum tube 48, switch 60 is opened and the electrical circuit is interrupted making the turret motor 37 inoperative.

As shown in the FIGURES and 6 the follower arm assembly 16 comprises a rotatable shaft 61 journ-aled in the turret 11. A pivotable arm 62 is fixedly attached to one end of shaft 61. The extremity of the arm 62 terminates as a forked yoke for supporting a pair of antifriction bearings which, in turn, rot-atably support a shaft 63. Pinned to the shaft 63 between the bearings is an elastomer-covered follower wheel 64 which, during windup, fri'ctionally contacts the surface of a product being A driver roll 65 is fixedly attion as to be situated opposite an el-astomer-covered rim 66 of the extension 42. The roller 65 frictionally engages the rim 66 of the rotating extension 42 at the start of windup and brings the wheel 64 up to speed so that the web that is to be wound on the core is not damaged upon contact. Rotatably mounted on each fork of the yoke on the arm 62 at right angles to the axis of shaft 63 are guide rolls 67 and 68 which contact the edges of the product being rolled and urge it to build a package roll with accurately convoluted layers. It can be seen that the guide roll 67 is generally conical in shape, providing for nearly constant surface velocity at any point along the line of contact between the roll 67 and the end face of the product roll. The guide roll 67 is mounted on a spring-loaded, pivoted bracket 69 which is connected to one side of the yoke on the arm 62. A spring urges the bracket in a counter clockwise direction thus urging the conical roll 67 against the end of the product roll as it is being wound; the pivoted bracket 69 is stopped by an adjustable screw 70 which is threade'dly engaged in the yoke and serves to establish the distance between guide r011 68 and conical guide roll 67 which is usually set to some preselected minimum distance (e.g., the minimum width of the web being processed). Since the pivoted bracket 69 is spring-loaded (spring not shown) against the adjusting screw, the conical roll 67 may move outward to accommodate webs of greater width than the minimum. Since the position of guide roll 68 is fixed, one edge of the web will always occupy the same position (or plane) regardless of variations in the width of the web. It may also be seen in FIGURE 6 that the guide roll 68 engages part of the end face of the follower wheel 64 and will be accelerated when it is accelerated; conical guide roll 67 is accelerated by contact with the edge of the core 51 or the outer edge of the web wound there- Referring back to FIGURE 4, journaled on the shaft 61 outboard of the arm 62 is a web guide roll 71 which serves to support the web during windup. A counterweight 72 and a lever 73 are attached to the opposite end of the shaft 61. The extremity of the lever 73 is connected to one end of an extension spring 74 which is anchored at the other end to the turret 11. The counterweight 72 tends to balance the follower arm assembly during turret indexing while the lever 73 and spring 74 provide a predetermined force for the wheel 64 to apply against the product roll. Pin 75 attached to the arm 62 and a clip 76 fastened to the turret 11 operatively engage each other and provide a convenient means for latching the follow arm assembly away from the completely wound product roll at do-lf.

Referring now to FIGURE 7 and FIGURE 8, the leading end of web being introduced to a core 51, is guided into a cinching engagement about the rotating core by a retractable chute unit 77 which comprises a generally U shaped guide which is joined on its outwardly facing edge to a flange 78 (shown in FIGURE 8); the flange 78 is attached, by means of bolts and spacer sleeves, to a plate 78a which is secured to the end of the rod 79 of air cylinder 79a, as further described below. The flange 78 has a small central hole which fits over a core shaft 50 or projecting end on the extension 42 of spindle 40. When the chute 77 is in operative position, shown in FIGURE 7 and 9, it may be seen that the rear edge of the U shaped guide is in close proximity to the 'end face of extension 42; similarly, the inner face of the flange 78 is spaced from the outer end of the core 51. The inner wall of the curved portion of the U shape of guide 77 is spaced away from the outside surface of the core 51 by about 4" thus forming an annulus of about 180 extent around the core. Except for the open ends of the U shaped guide, the guide forms a substantially airtight seal around the core so that the air has only one path to follow (i.e., around the core).

The leading end 180' of web 100 can be fed to core 51 in a manner to be described. The rewind device of this invention will usually be located immediately following another web processing device such as a web cutter. The preferred method of feeding the web to the core is by utilizing air streams from air jets 88a. and 88b (FIGURE 7) which are drilled into upper block and lower block 106, respectively, and communicate with suitable drilled passages in the blocks. The jets 88a and 88b are located such that the issuing air streams are generally tangential to the lower part of the core 51 so that they move in a generally counterclockwise direction about the core when viewed from the front. The lower jet has a diameter about twice the size of the upper diameter, e.g., 4 to & respectively). The passages leading up to the air jets (blowers) in upper and lower blocks 105 and 106 are connected to a constant pressure outlet valve which, in turn, is connected to a source of air (not shown) under pressure; downstream of that valve in the branch passage leading to the upper jet 88a is a manual throttling valve.

' tively of the turret 11.

The constant pressure outlet valve is preset for a delivery pressure of about to 18 p.s.i. gauge, preferably at about 12 to 15 psi. gauge, while the manual throttling valve is set so that the delivery pressure issuing from the upper orifice is about one-half that of the lower jet. This pressure ratio of about 0.5 to 1.0 (or 1:2) upper-to-lower jet is preferred. In adjusting the jets, initially, the upper jet must at least have an air flow such that the oncoming end of Web is not permitted to curl upward in such a way that it will avoid entering the chute 77 (because of any natural tendency to curl that way or because of the influence of the lower jet); the upper jet 88a, then must have an air flow such that the oncoming end of the web will just barely pass under the lower edge of the core 51. On the other hand, the lower jet 88b must at least have an air flow such that the end of web will not fall below the chute 77 and, in addition, must have a sufficient air flow that the stream will enter the annular space in the chute and persist circumferentially of the annulus in such a way that the lower web face is carried around the interior curving face of the chute (i.e., the web is floated or levitated) which causes the web to curl in a counter clockwise direction as it is simultaneous urged generally radially inward in respect to the core 51 to the state where the vacuum in drawing air through the slot in the core 51 will eventually cause the web to lie against the core 51. When the leading end of the web has encircled the core by about 270, the leading end may, because of its resistance to bending, tend to run vertically downward (i.e., more-or-less perpendicular to the horizontal portion of web then passing under the core); this leading end must be directed into the nip between the horizontal web and the core in order for proper cinching to occur, therefore, the upper air jet 88a must be forcible enough to urge or start the leading end of web in that direction. From the foregoing it will be seen that a balance must be achieved between the air how for the upper and lower jets. The air can be supplied by any suitable means and can be controlled by switches to automatically operate at desired intervals when guide chute 77 is surrounding core 51.

The flange 78 and the plate 78a are attached rigidly to the end of the movable rod 79 of the pneumatic cylinder 79a which later serves as the means for moving the flange (and associated members) into or out of operative engagement with the core 51. The cylinder is fastened to the supporting frame of the rewind mechanism. Microswitch 80, also fastened to the supporting frame is operatively engaged by a part of rod 79. Since the flange 78 completely encircles the core shaft 50 during cinching and the U shaped guide of the chute unit 77 partially encircles the core 51, the turret 11 cannot be indexed until these parts are moved out of engagement with the core shaft and the core. The switch 80 therefore serves as another interlock in the electric circuit that controls the turret drive motor 37.

Referring to FIGURE 9, a wedge or cam 81 is rigidly mounted on the flange 78 to the right of the U shaped guide unit 77 and is thus adapted to move in and out with the chute unit. The tapered surface of the cam engages a lobe 82 which is secured to each follower arm 62 near its outer end. The cam functions to move the following arrn assembly aside when chute unit 77 moves into operative engagement with empty core 51. Similarly, when the chute unit is moved out, the cam withdraws, permitting the follower arm assembly to move toward the core, as this occurs, the periphery of the drive roll 65 (see FIGURE 6) moves into contact with the rim 66 located on extension 42, being accelerated thereby.

Referring to FIGURE 1, four lobe cams 83, 84, 85 and 86 (shown schematically) are mounted near the periphery of the turret 11 on its back face. The cams are spaced 90 from each other and are displaced clockwise 30 from the horizontal and vertical centerline respec- The cams operatively engage a pair of microswitches 87 all of which are stationary and are mounted to the main machine frame. Cams 83 and are identical and actuate one of the pairs of microswitches; cams 84 and 86 are also identical and operatively engage the other microswitch. The switches are part of the circuitry which controls the switching of electrical power from one core windup motor, 47, to another as the turret 11 indexes. Attached side by side to each of the cams 83, 84, 85 and 86 are identical plate cams 83a each of which engages switch 87a successively. Near the completion of a 90 index of the turret 11, actuation of the switch 87a by the identical plate cams causes the solenoid 31 and the turret motor 37 to be deenergized, thus allowing the turret 11 to come to a stop and the dog 28 (see FIGURE 3) is urged into engagement with one of the four slots in the collar 25 thereby locking the turret plate against rotation. When the turret 11 rotates, it is necessary to remove dog 28 from the slot in collar 25. Associated with the dog 28 is a limit switch (not shown) which has a dual function shown generally in FIG. 10. When the dog 28 is removed from the slot, a portion of the limit switch is closed thereby allowing the turret motor 37 to be energized and also increasing the speed of the chuck motor 47 to high speed. At the same time a second portion of the limit switch is opened. This is the part of the limit switch that energizes the solenoids for actuating cylinders 53 and 79a. The solenoids that actuate these cylinders are spring-loaded to be closed unless actuated by the limit switch. Thus, one part of the limit switch operates while the turret rotates and the other part operates to force the chute 77 and vacuum tube 54 into position when the turret is locked.

Referring to FIGURES 7 and 8, a pair of idler rolls 89 and 90, encircled by a belt 91, are mounted on antifriction bearings which are supported on stationary shafts which project horizontally from a support plate 92. The plate is held at its lower end by a hinge 93 which is secured to the main machine frame 22; at its upper end the plate is secured by a pivoted latch 94. The upper idler roll 89 is situated so that the belt 91 can contact a roll from any type of machine (not shown) which is used to feed the web to the rewind device. If desired, roll 89 can be operated by a separate drive motor (not shown) which will turn the roll at the same speed at which the web is fed to the rewind device. Referring particularly to FIG- URE 1, it may be seen that in the course of indexing the turret 11, the periphery of the guide roll 71 will make contact with the outer surface of the portion of the belt 91 which extends between the two idler rolls; thus, the guide roll 71 is accelerated, in the course of a turret index cycle, just before the roll 71 makes contact with the moving web 100.

Also mounted on the support plate 92 is a cantilevered spring 95 which holds an idler roller 96 the axis of which is horizontal but at right angles to the axis of the core 51. The outboard end of the idler roller 96 rests against the end face of the core, being driven thereby. The idler roller functions to guide the web, as it is first taken-up on the core, into precisely aligned layers (this function is later taken over by the conical guide roll 67 and the guide roll 68 both of which are on follower arm 62 and are temporarily out of service, when the guide chute 77 surrounds the core). When the turret 11 is indexed, the newlyformed product roll passes out of engagement with the idler roller 96.

At the start of operations, the machine and the web are disposed as follows:

As seen in FIGURE 1, a web 100 is being wound to the product roll on chuck assembly 13 at the top position on the turret 11. An empty core 51 has been mounted on the shaft of chuck assembly 12, having been placed there manually. The turret and the chuck assembly had been indexed into position to receive the leading edge of the film; in the course of going through'the index cycle, the cam 83 had engaged switch 87 thereby energizing the core assembly motor 47 to chuck assembly 12 and bringing the empty core 51 on chuck assembly up to initial speed. Motor 47 is a torque motor and would rotate too fast at its no load running speed with an empty core to allow for the web to properly cinch the core.

The vacuum connector 54' is in the extended position against the tube 48 connecting a slot on core 51 to a source of vacuum; however, the vacuum has not yet started. The pneumatic cylinder that provides the movement for chute unit 77 has pulled the unit into operative engagement with the rotating empty core 51; in moving inwardly, the cam 81 on the chute unit has pushed the follower arm aside and out of operative engagement with rim 66 on shaft extension.

With the machine in the above-described state, the web 100 continues to run while being wound on the product roll on chuck assembly 13 at the top position on the turret 11. At this juncture a signal from an outside source such as a footage counter (see FIGURE signals the completion of the product roll on the assembly at the top position whereupon several things occur substantially simultaneously as follows: compressed air is emitted from air jets 88a and 88b; the vacuum commences through tube 48 connected to the core; the motor for the chuck assembly in the top position is cut off and a time delay relay is energized.

The winding device of this invention is usually found following a cutter device such as that described in the assignees copending patent application to Ryan entitled Apparatus, Serial No. 320,419, filed October 31, 1963. The footage counter mentioned above would signal for the film to be cut as well as signalling the rewind device.

When the cutter severs the web, the trailing end is pulled up to the completed product roll while the leading end is propelled toward the empty core 51 of assembly 12; as the leading end approaches the empty core, it

' enters the annulus between the U shaped guide of against contact with either the core or the U shaped guide. As the leading end of the web proceeds around the core and the U shaped guide, however, the cushioning effect of the air columns diminishes and the web end then falls into contact with the core where it remains, being held by atmospheric pressure aided by the vacuum exerted through slots in the core. The core is rotating, and the leading end of the web is then carried around the core thus causing the web to be cinched or wrapped upon itself.

When the time delay relay emits its signal, the following events occur: The motor 47 is switched from initial speed condition to running condition; the air supply to the jets 88a and 88b is shut off; the solenoid controlling the vacuum is de-energized thus cutting the vacuum off; a solenoid allows pressurized air to be admitted to (a) the head end of the cylinder controlling rod 79 thus forcing chute 77 away from the core and (b) to cylinder 53 to release the vacuum tube from the hollow spindle 40; and power is supplied to the turret motor 37 and solenoid 31 causing the turret to index 90 During the period of turret rotation or indexing the newly started product roll is moved out of contact with the stationary idler roller 96; however, the web edge guiding function is taken over by the roll 68 and the conical roll 67 on the follower arm. Also during indexing, the guide roll 71 makes grazing contact with the running belt 91 and is accelerated before it makes contact with the underside of the running web; the guide roll 71 then reaches an approximate 10 oclock position, where it guides the web ahead of the point Where the latter is bewith case.

8 ing taken up on the core which has just reached the top position on the turret.

As the turret nears the end of its 90 index, one of the identical plate cams 83a located by the side of each cam 83, 84, 85 and 86, engages the limit switch 87a whereupon the turret motor 37 is de-energized and the turret stops; the solenoid 31 is also de-energized, permitting the dog 28 to enter one of the slots thus locking the turret against rotation. When the turret is locked, the guide chute 77 and vacuum connector 54 are restored to operative engagement respectively with the core 51 and 48. At the end of the index the product roll which had just .been completed and which was formerly at the top position is now located at the 3 oclock or doffing position on the turret where it may be removed by the operator. At this stage the operator may push the follower arm aside manually, engaging the pin 75 in the clip 76 thus holding the arm aside. After this roll has been doffed, an empty core is placed on the shaft 50 and the follower arm is released from the clip; this places the turret in a state of readiness for its eventual winding procedure.

The advantages of the apparatus of this invention are evident when it is considered that sensitive web materials such as photographic film are automatically rewound These materials must be rewound in total darkness and this novel apparatus allows minimum operator assistance while achieving a rapid rewind rate. Also the film is cinched and wound with a minimum of scuffing and scratching which is associated with many of the available rewind devices.

What is claimed is:

1. A web rewind apparatus having a web receiving position and a web rewind position, said apparatus comprising (A) a turret;

(B) a turret motor for indexing said turret;

(C) hollow rewind chucks with web receiving cores located on said turret, each chuck having independent drive means and one of said chucks and cores being in web receiving position while another chuck and core is in the rewind position;

(D) follow arm means attached to said turret in conjunction with each of said cores for shaping the roll of said web being wound on said core;

(E) detachable vacuum means which connects to said hollow chuck in the receiving position;

(F) removable guide means for surrounding said chuck and core located in the receiving position to guide said web to cinch upon said core; and

(G) air blower means immediately preceding said guide to provide an air cushion for said web to enter said guide.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 having control means for selectively actuating (1) said vacuum means, (2) said guide means, (3) said turret motor, (4) said chuck drive means, and (5) said blower means.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 where said guide is a chute having one opening in its circumference, the remainder of said chute fitting substantially air-tight around said chuck and core.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 where said blower means is represented by an upper and lower air jet to give a ratio of air flow of about 1:2 respectively, said jets being situated on both sides of said Web and directed toward the web in the direction of said guide.

5. An automatic web cinching device 'for grasping a web material around a core comprising (A) a support;

(B) a hollow chuck with a web core, said chuck being rotatably attached to said support;

(C) drive means for rotating said chuck and core;

(D) vacuum means connected to said chuck and core for providing suction through said core; 7

(E) movable guide means for surrounding said core to provide a path for the leading edge of said Web to follow around said core;

(F) air blower means connected to said support immediately preceding said guide and located on both sides of the travel path of the Web to provide an air cushion for said web to enter said guide; and

(G) control means for selectively actuating (1) said drive means, (2) said vacuum means, (3) said guide means and (4) said blower.

6. A device as defined in claim 5 where said blower means comprises an air jet above said web and an air jet below said web the air flow of both jets impinging upon said web at an angle toward said guide.

7. A web rewind apparatus having a receiving position to accept the oncoming web, said apparatus comprising (A) a turret;

(B) a turret motor for indexing said turret;

(C) hollow chucks with Web receiving cores located on said turret, each chuck having an independent drive motor;

(D) follow arm means attached to said turret in conjunction with each of said cores for shaping the roll of said web being wound on said core;

(E) detachable vacuum means which connects to said hollow chuck in the receiving position;

(F) removable U shaped guide means for surrounding said chuck and core located in the web receiving position to guide said web to cinch upon said core;

(G) air jets, immediately preceding said guide, on both sides of said web to give an air flow ratio of the upper to lower jet of about 1:2 with the air flow impinging upon said web at an angle directed toward said guide; and

(H) control means for selectively actuating 1) said vacuum means, (2) said guide means, (3) said turret motor, (4) said chuck motors and (5) said air jets.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 

5. AN AUTOMATIC WEB CINCHING DEVICE FOR GRASPING A WEB MATERIAL AROUND A CORE COMPRISING (A) A SUPPORT; (B) A HOLLOW CHUCK WITH A WEB CORE, SAID CHUCK BEING ROTATABLY ATTACHED TO SAID SUPPORT; (C) DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CHUCK AND CORE; (D) VACUUM MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CHUCK AND CORE FOR PROVIDING SUCTION THROUGH SAID CORE; 